The Man Struck a Chord

My brother laid it out, and did so well.  Looking back at the landslide primary victory of Jon Tester over the favored John Morrison, Moorcat focuses on what really mattered: Jon Tester is one of us.  Quite obviously, others agree with his analysis.  Now, we can put it in all kinds of high-faluten' terms, like "Jon is a man of the People", but there's a difference between catchy phrases and what wins elections.  Moorcat hit the nail squarely on the head.  It isn't that Jon Tester is an heroic advocate of the working man in some '30's Hollywood extravaganza; it's that Jon Tester really is one of us, struggling with the same crap we struggle with every damned day.  He is the People, with more balls than most of us, because he wants our voice heard in the Senate, and is willing to speak for us.

But, as I've clarified to the amusement of my own pet troll, I tend to be a strategist.  Though Moorcat does a great job of exposing why Jon Tester won, he doesn't tend to address how.  That's fine, I've got his back.  Our dad was a carpenter, and I can tell you for true that you don't drive that nail without the proper swing.  The manner is no good without the mode, so one has to wonder exactly what carried Tester to such a surprising victory.  In my opinion, it was the handshake.

Mommy, Wulfgar's talking about touching again!

Yep, I so surely am.  Even those of us who are so partisan to Jon Tester were surprised by the overwhelming nature of his victory, and we have the clues as to how he did it.  It wasn't the money, even though there was a surge of  funds before the primary; it wasn't the commercials, cute as the Buzz spot was; it wasn't the blogs (sorry, KOS commenters, but it really wasn't you).  It wasn't any one of those things alone, though they all helped.  It was the touch.

The first time I met Jon Tester, he shook my hand.  Energetically, enthusiastically, whole-heartedly.  He didn't touch me like another mindless vote, or a patron to whom he must pander for support. He shook my hand like an equal, a Montanan among Montanans.  A degree of trust was established at that very moment.  I was willing to listen to what he had to share with me, and share he did.  Every time I've met Jon since then, we've just been a couple of guys talkin', nothing more or less.  But it always begins with a handshake ... it always begins with respect.  The man is genuine, and he let's you know it right up front.

I know, I know.  Jon Tester certainly didn't meet every person who voted for him, to wow them with his "integrity voodoo".  Nope, no he didn't.  We did.  That's right.  The sweep of support started with those who have met the man, and believed that he was the one who would best take our concerns to congress.  It spread from us to most others who voted in the primary.  I told 10 people, and they told 5 people and they told at least 1 person.  And that's how a 2 to 5 point victory became a groundswell of 25% slamage.

Well, duh.  I just described the whole concept of grassroots campaign, now didn't I?  What has kind of shocked me, since last Tuesday, are the number of people who get the concept, but don't understand what it is they have bought into.  In the DKos post about Tester's victory, dozens of commentors dove into the deep end, describing exactly how Tester should proceed to win the general.  I laugh, loudly!  What Tester should do is be Jon Tester.  He is worth our votes and all he need do is meet those who will advocate for that very thing.  That would be us progressives.  Being a progressive doesn't mean dictating a different way of winning elections; it means voting for candidates who understand where we are, and want to represent that in the Congress of the US.  To me, that's the most humorous part of this whole primary campaign:  the most progressive thing is to get back to our roots, meeting and voting for the guy who is willing to support what we, the People, desire.  That's kind of a regression, but a fricken' worthy one.

Jon Tester is going to win the Senate seat in Montana.  He's going to do it by letting Montanans know who he is.  We will spread the word, in the media, on the WEB, by word of mouth.  Money may make a difference, but people want touch.  They want to know that the guy who speaks for them will shake their hand with respect and honesty.  More than anything, folks want to be included in the movement of their state, their government.  That's the strategy, and others would be well advised to emulate it.

A side note to Eric:  quit with the whole "2 fleas on a dog" BS.  You strongly advocated Morrison, which may have furthered the message of Tester.  I thank you for that, but I kinda like you, and I'd rather not have to rub your nose in the agony of Burns' defeat come November.  Keep up the lunacy, and I'll have no choice.  This victory was significant, and you know it, else you wouldn't have wanted so desperately for Morrison to win.

Comments

[Eric Coobs]

Well, the victory was signifigant for Jon Tester, since you gotta win the primary to advance to the general election, and in that regard, you are correct.

We should have no lack of material to blog about between now and November, should we?

[grannyinsanity]

He does have a great handshake, and looks you straight in the eye, but he's not the only one-his wife has an incredible handshake as well.

[Charlotte]

I met Morrison last year and while he shook my hand, he did it while looking over my shoulder for the next donor, or I couldn't help but wonder, especially in light of what later came out, if my initial instinct that he was looking over my shoulder for a cuter girl wasn't correct. At any rate, bad handshake, insincere affect, and while I would have voted for him if he'd won the primary, I wouldn't have campaigned for him. Tester seems like a real guy, not a DLC guy.